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And Ned, for Gosh Sakes, Don’t Trade for Manny

July 30th, 2008 · 4 Comments · Baseball, Dodgers

This is the rumor floating around out there. That the Boston Red Sox are ready to foist Manny “Dead Man Jogging” Ramirez on someone, and that the Dodgers are thought to be candidates for the dreadlocked, brain-dead left fielder.

This would be a horrible, horrible (add as many more “horribles” as you deem fit) idea. Just shockingly bad. Let’s hope it was some untrue musing from Boston GM Theo Epstein to try to get other teams interested.

Have you seen Manny lately? As in any of the games in which the Angels keep beating up the Bosox? The dude has quit. He doesn’t run out plays, he may be the worst outfielder in baseball and he’s 36. Did I mention he might be nuts, too? Or that he’s making $20 million this year and, apparently, will be a free agent afterward, if he’s traded?

The rumor, which seems to have originated on SI.com … has Matt Kemp being discussed as a potential return from the Dodgers for the pleasure of Manny and his Fenway-inflated stats.

Kemp is only the Dodgers’ best young player. Dumb as a brick, sure, but massively talented (he brings to mind Pedro Guerrero and Raul Mondesi, and Dodgers fans know that’s both good … and alarming) … and right now his upside is about 100 times higher than is Manny’s.

This whole idea is so remarkably stupid that we would dismiss it out of hand accept that 1) Dodgers onwer Frank McCourt loves all things “Bawston” (witness Nomar, Bill Mueller, Grady Little, etc.) and 2) GM Ned Colletti probably is ready to try to brown-nose the boss about now, with his job hanging by a thread — with clowns such as Angel Berroa and Andruw Jones at the other end of that thread.

I will march on Chavez Ravine if this deal goes down. I will light myself on fire. OK, maybe I’ll just light a candle …

But this canNOT happen. No Manny for the Dodgers. No, no, a thousand times no.

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4 responses so far ↓

  • 1 George Alfano // Jul 30, 2008 at 9:40 PM

    Manny hasn’t run balls out for several years. He can play the Green Monster OK, but if you play there for half of your games, you will play it better than other people. He’s a bad outfielder, but he’s not the worst outfielder in baseball – not so long as Johnny Damon is still active.

    Manny Ramirez is one of the best right-handed hitters in the last 20 years. His numbers are in the same league as Alex Rodriguez, and his numbers are remarkable.

    All that said, this would be a bad fit for the Dodgers. Even if the Red Sox would give Ramirez to the Dodgers, it would not be a good move. He is not going to help the Dodgers win a playoff series, and would probably be upsetting and a bad influence in the clubhouse.

  • 2 George Alfano // Jul 30, 2008 at 9:44 PM

    The Red Sox can’t trade Manny. He has two club options for the next two years. If they don’t want him, all they have to do is not pick up his option.

  • 3 Jacob Pomrenke // Jul 31, 2008 at 12:43 PM

    Just heard the Dodgers got Manny. Holy $#!^

    Can’t believe the Red Sox were stupid enough to give him up for what looks to be Jason Bay + prospects. Terrible move on their part — terrible move by the Dodgers, who need another outfielder like I need six kidneys, and terrible move by the Pirates, who once again give up their best player for bums-of-the-month.

  • 4 Ryan // Jul 31, 2008 at 1:27 PM

    It looks like the Dodgers have just about given up on an Andruw turnaround. They did get that much right.

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